Tamil Nadu: Death sentence awarded to couple for Dalit woman's murder

A local court on Tuesday awarded death sentence to a couple for murdering a Dalit woman, angered over her brother's love affair with their daughter, last year.

District court judge Abdul Khader awarded capital punishment to the couple Sankaranarayanan and his wife Chellammal stating that charges were proved against them beyond doubt.

They should be hanged till death, the judge said.

According to prosecution Vishwanathan, a Dalit, was in love with daughter of Sankaranarayan and Chellammal. He had eloped with her following resistance from her parents and relatives.

Angry over it, Sankarananrayanan and his wife came to the residence of Viswanathan. However, he was not there. Though his elder sister Kalpana tried to placate them, she was hacked to death by the couple on May 13, 2016.

Kalpana was mother of a girl child.

Sankaranarayanan and Chellammal have been arrested and murder charges were framed against them.